Greetings Dear Readers,

“Listen to the patient: He is telling you the diagnosis”, the words of Sir William Osler advice to his fellow physicians in the earlier part of the 20th century.   Research by Beckman and Frankel1 found that patients could complete 18 seconds of their initial statement before being interrupted by their doctor.  A more recent study with primary care residents found that patients could speak for 12 seconds before being interrupted.

Good listening skills are infinitely valuable. Do you feel heard by your doctor?  Love to hear your comments and questions.

Yours in health,
Cynthia

References:

1.BECKMAN, H.B. & FRANKEL, R.M. (1984). The effect of physician behavior on the collection of data. Annals of Internal Medicine, 101, 692 – 696.